1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rotor blade for a wind energy installation, with the rotor blade having at least one cavity. The invention also relates to a method for operation of a wind energy installation having a rotor which can be driven by wind and has at least one rotor blade of the abovementioned type, having a generator for conversion of the mechanical energy of the rotor to electrical energy, and having a tower on which the rotor is arranged.
2. Related Art
The rotor blades for wind energy installations are subject to high loads. Over the course of an assumed operating life of, for example, twenty years the rotor blades rotate at least 300 to 500 million times. Frequent alternating bending loads, in particular, occur during this process and have an extremely negative effect on the life of the individual rotor blade. Rotor blades are normally composed of an upper shell and a lower shell, with the shells being connected by lateral webs, which give the rotor blade sufficient bending stiffness. The webs as well as the connections of the webs to the upper shell and to the lower shell—frequently adhesively bonded joints—in particular are subject to compression and tension alternately during operation.